Between July 2017 and June 2018, researchers commissioned and coordinated by the International Labour Organization (ILO) through a partnership with the Labour Prosecutor’s Office (MPT) visited the main cocoa producing areas in Brazil, where a series of interviews was conducted with local communities. The research aimed to:
- Understand the dynamics of the cocoa supply chain;
- Identify the key players in the cocoa supply chain;
- Establish links between different players;
- Determine working conditions and identify the possible existence of child labour and slave labour;
- Analyse supply chain monitoring practices by companies involved;
- Identify good practices in promoting decent work;
- Increase the knowledge base on the supply chain;
- Contribute to the design of strategies to promote decent work and eliminate unacceptable forms of work.
According to the research, it appears that fundamental rights at work are not being properly respected in the cocoa supply chain in Brazil. The research found, among other things, a significant presence of child labour and slave labour. On the other hand, it identified cocoa farms that respect these rights, showing that it is possible to produce cocoa in Brazil in a socially sustainable way.
